The Cultural Heritage of SEOUL(TBS)

19.Hyochang Stadium, Korea’s First International Soccer Stadium

Hyochang Stadium, the country’s first international soccer stadium, was built in October 1960. The 23,000-seat facility consists of a soccer field with an athletics track running around it. The stadium is still used for various purposes. At first, the government planned to relocate patriots’ tombs in the area elsewhere to build the stadium, but the work was stopped due to stiff opposition. After Seoul was selected as the host city of the 1970 Asian Games (although the games were not actually held in Seoul in the end) in June 1959, the stadium was built without relocating the tombs. Hyochang Park, where the tombs of patriots Lee Bong-chang, Yun Bong-gil, Baek Jeong-gi and Kim Koo among others are located, was designated as Historic Site No. 330.